ThirtyFour
by J.A.K
Summary: Jason's funeral. Journey Fic. This story is a bit different.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating: **PG

**Summary**: Jason's Funeral. Courtney's reaction.

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Chapter One **

The wintry air that swirled about her was of little consequence to her senses. Her skin was numb. It bore no feelings towards the cutting wind. Were it not for the salt that perpetually tingled against her tongue when she licked her dried lips, Courtney was sure that even _she_ would not be aware that she was crying.

Tears clung stubbornly to her lashes. She refused to wipe them though, even when they burned her eyes. She refused to do naught but stare in disbelief at the fifty thousand dollar casket that sat tauntingly in front of her.

After a full ten minutes of doing nothing but staring, she looked about her at her surroundings. The day was beautiful. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The cemetery was surprisingly full. Her remaining family was all there, except for her mother. She hadn't bothered to call her, unwilling to hear another bout of what-did-I-say's and I-told you-so's.

All of her brother's associates were there. Around fifty strong. Most were probably insincerely remorseful, but all were too scared to do anything other than pay their respects. Ric was with Alexis and Kristina. They had left their newborn at home with a sitter. Both were suspiciously rubbing their eyes in intervals.

Jax sat with Sam. Though the baby hadn't turned out to be his, he still supported her through her pregnancy and was rewarded by his faith. Sam stayed with him after her child had been still born. The two of them were happy now, one year after the incident had occurred.

Felecia and her two girls were there. Mac wisely stayed away from today's proceedings, wary of another showdown similar to that which had taken place at the wake. Elizabeth was there, holding hands with Lucky. Tears ran freely down her face. But then again, why wouldn't they. She and the man who lay blissfully unaware in the casket, had had history.

Jason's family was there.

Every.

Single.

Quartermaine.

Not one of their eyes were dry.

Monica and Alan were the most distraught of them all, and that surprised her. She would have thought that his sister's grief, Emily, would be greater, but she was composed as she sat next to Nicholas. Almost a bit like herself. Stone still, crying silent tears, all the while mesmerized by the box that sat in front of them. Skye and Lorenzo sat next to each other. Both not saying a word, and yet both deeply disturbed.

But Alan and Monica.

Yes…there would be no comforting them for a long while.

Perhaps they cried for the son they had birthed. The doctor to be, Jason Quartermaine. Or maybe they cried for the person whom they had lost in their brain damaged estranged son, Jason Morgan. Either way, they wrapped themselves about each other and wept.

Strangely, now that she came to think of it, it all made a certain amount of sense. _They_ had lost two people in one. While she had only known him as Jason, closest friend and number two to notorious mafia aficionado Sonny Corinthos, they had known the boy who could do no wrong and had had a full ride to an Ivy League college.

Suddenly a strongly coherent thought came to her, and she looked up to the sky, silently thanking God for small favors. His grandmother hadn't lived to see this moment and she was glad.

It would have broken her heart.

Carly sat next to her, to her right to be exact, and could barely contain herself. Courtney understood. Carly had lost her best friend. The only one who really got her…even more so than her own husband. She had lost her first love.

Morgan sat in his mother's lap, while Michael sat on Courtney's left. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted to put her arm around him and comfort him. It was what any Aunt would and _should_ do after all, but she could barely be there for herself. As it was, he had lost the first man who had been a father to him. The one who had been there even when Carly, his own mother, was unable to do so.

Michael took up his own initiative and simply buried his face in her lap. Leticia sat next to him and did what Courtney couldn't. With tears of her own in her eyes, she bent over Micheal and whispered words of comfort into his ear.

Sonny sat next to Carly and she couldn't help but feel scared for him. She knew how tragedy affected her brother. His mind would get swallowed in the darkness, and it was hard to pull him out. He had come to his senses the past three or so times, but now was different. This wasn't a deceased lover, not that _they_ weren't important. Here was his best friend. His most trusted ally. The man who had forgiven him, _even_ when he had slept with the woman Jason was in love with and inadvertently taken his family from right underneath his nose. _Even_ when Jason ran away from them, unable to handle their betrayal, he had _still_ given them a means of letting Sonny have custody of Michael. Of letting Sonny be the father to a boy Jason so desperately loved.

Plainly said, Jason was Sonny's brother. And now he was dead. He hadn't died naturally from an unnatural disease, like the infamous Stone had, but he had died protecting him in the midst of yet another shoot out. She knew that he would feel guilty. Courtney fervently hoped that the guilt wouldn't eat away his sanity.

And then there was her. Her skin was still numb. Her mind was still blank, but she was no closer to accepting his passing. She couldn't understand why he would leave her now. After _all_ they had been through. The kidnappings, the miscarriage, the shootouts, the violence, the divorce, their reunion.

And to make matters worse…the thing that was so _indefensibly_ ironic, was that she had somehow gotten pregnant. She was only two and half months along but she still showed. Yes, it was only noticeable if one looked close enough to her stomach or if her shirt was skin tight…but the proof of their child was present nonetheless.

Jason had said that it was her karma; it was her innate goodness that had provided the doorway to make such a miracle happen. She told him that it was God. Neither of them had ever been particularly religious, but she still knew an omnipotent hand at work when she saw it. There was just no other explanation. Or so the doctors had said, who, up until now, couldn't find a reason behind or explicate how their miracle baby had been conceived.

Courtney placed a hand on her stomach, the most action she'd done since she sat down that morning.

"Dearly beloved," this could have been a wedding she thought. "We are gathered here to remember and celebrate the life of the wonderful man that was Jason Quartermaine Morgan."

She heard Carly give a loud moan of distress next to her, but Courtney remained silent. The only thing that she did, was clutch her stomach as Father Coates pressed relentlessly on.

"Jason possessed so many wonderful traits that it is hard to know where to begin."

"_No," Courtney whispered. This was all wrong. She had been silent at the church because she was waiting for him to somehow appear out from behind the beautifully arranged flowers, or walk in on his own funeral like Carly had done four years ago. She was waiting for him to reveal himself and then yell "I was only kidding." But now, things were getting serious. His body was about to be laid to rest and Jason was yet to pop out from inside of the box._

"He was a loving son, brother, and friend. He asked nothing of anyone and accepted everyone for who they were and what they represented, regardless of their personal shortcomings."

"_No." This time her voice rose a fraction more in decibel._

"His character was laced with eloquence and simplicity. He loved those who allowed him to love them." A sob escaped Monica's lips. "And they loved him just as equally in return." Father Cotes surveyed the mourners for a moment, then his eyes settled on her. "Yet he loved no one more so than his wife and unborn child who presently survive him."

_Courtney felt as if she was unable to breath. As if she might explode._

"I stand before you saying this with complete surety in my omission as it was I who re-married them almost two years ago at St. Agnes Church."

"_No," she said again. This time loud enough for Carly to turn and look at her questioningly._

"Courtney," she whispered hesitantly.

But Courtney couldn't hear her.

"_No," she yelled out._

This time everyone turned to stare at her. Father Coates stopped too.

"Mrs. Morgan would you like to—"

But Father Coates could kiss her ass right now. All she wanted was her husband back. All she wanted was to feel his arms around her. Was that _so_ unreasonable?

"Jason," she yelled and sobbed all at the same time.

Courtney jumped out of her seat, Michael be damned, and ran to the casket.

"Jason **WHY**," she cried, her voice broken by the sobs that were heaving through her chest.

Vaguely she heard someone say: "Courtney don't," but that person could kiss her ass too.

Unable to support her weight anymore, she dropped on top of the expensive wood.

"Jason **WHY**," she said again. This time she screamed the 'why,' loud enough to wake the dead.

Sonny came behind his sister and wrapped his arms around her trying to pull her up.

Courtney struggled. She didn't want anyone touching her.

"No," she screamed. "**NOOOOO**."

Carly covered one hand over her face and used the other to clutch Morgan, almost unable to bear what she was witnessing.

"**SONNY NO**," Courtney yelled. She didn't understand why he was so hell bent on holding her all of a sudden. If only she could touch Jason she _knew_ that he would tell her that he was okay. That this was all an elaborate hoax.

Suddenly she got the idea to reason with Sonny instead of fighting him.

Courtney stilled in his arms. Both of them were on their knees when she turned to face him. Her eyes were wide and horror stricken as if she had seen an extremely scary movie and realized that the movie was actually her life.

Tears were running in rivulets down her face.

"Just let me see him so he can tell me he's okay, alright Sonny, and then we can _all_ leave."

The sincerity that gripped her voice did what this whole ordeal hadn't and brought tears to his eyes.

"He's dead Courtney."

She began to shake her head, but he caught it firmly in between his hands. Staring at her, unable to give a shit about the rest of the people that were witnessing this who weren't Carly, Letecia, and his children, he let a few tears fall.

"He's dead."

Tired and somewhat defeated she let out a half-hearted 'no' and fell into her brother's waiting arms.

Sonny held her tightly. He had known all along that this would be the result. She hadn't cried when he died. All that'd escaped her when his last breath passed were dry sobs. The wake was more of the same, minus the sobs. It was almost as if she was expecting something unbelievable to happen. Like she was waiting for Jason to walk through the church doors.

He hadn't known that it would be today, but he knew that there would be a crash. There was always one for him. The only thing that gave him a modicum of control this time around was the fact that he knew he had to be alert in order to get his revenge. Oh yes. Those who were responsible would pay dearly. And not just with _their_ lives. He was going to forfeit his own personal rule and track down those sonsabitches families. Their wives, their children, _and_ their friends would all pay. And the ones who had any part to do with Jason's murder, would watch. And _then_, he was going to kill them too. Maybe not with his bare hands, but a soft nose .22 at close range in the kneecaps, ankles, and lastly skulls would suffice. _Yes_…

…the bittersweet promise of revenge was what kept Sonny going. It was what kept him sane. He had already lost so much. First Lily, then Stone, then Brenda. He thought he'd lost Carly, but luckily for his peace of mind, that was just a huge misunderstanding. He felt his thoughts momentarily buckle under the pressure of those memories, but the assuredness of his impending retribution balanced his sanity.

Sonny enjoyed a deep sigh because he was comforted, and suddenly, there were no more tears.

Courtney, however, cried until she hadn't any tears left. Her body heaved and ached, but she didn't let go of Sonny. Which was what allowed him to help her stand up and move her to their seats. She sat next to him and without another word…Carly had taken her old chair… rested her head on his shoulder.

No one said anything or did anything. It was if the disturbance hadn't occurred. Father Coates resumed his speech and finished without further interruption. He asked the congregation at large it we had any final words (Carly shuddered when he said that), but no one stood up. To someone walking off the street, it might have looked as if none of them cared. But Carly knew differently. She knew that they had all been silenced by their profound sadness. That they were too grief stricken to talk—and besides which, all that needed to be said, had been said at his wake.

And so it went. Jason Quartermaine Morgan was laid to rest on a beautiful February day at eleven thirty in the morning.

He was thirty-four years old.

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**Soft Nose .22:** Soft Nose 22 bullets don't just penetrate the skin, but they explode on impact. They leave a big hole inside of the person who it hits and at close range, it is fairly certain that the person will not only die, but bear excruciating pain until the moment of death.

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**Author's Note**: Do you want me to continue? If so, let me know. The thing that set's this fic apart from all my others is that this time, I actually have a PLAN. I know how I would write my other chapters. They would be a reflection on the major events that have happened in Journey's relationship, starting from them getting re-married to Jason's untimely death. No more than 6 or 7 chapters. Rating increase for certain chapters. So really…let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes**: So I decided to continue…yay! I would have had this out sooner, but I've been so busy with school that I haven't really had time to breath. I would like to especially thank _everyone_ who reviewed. Your responses didn't just say "update soon." You actually told me what you liked or didn't like about it and were very insightful. Again, thank you for that. A thousand pardons for any mistakes. It was written a bit hastily. Anyways…enough of my babbling. On with the story. As always, please read, review, and _most_ importantly….Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two**

The last thing Courtney wanted was for the man to feel desperate. Desperate people often did stupid things. So taking a deep breath and muttering a quick prayer, she got to her feet.

"What are you doing," he yelled. Immediately she felt the level of anxiety around her raise several notches. "Sit down before I shoot you." Summoning courage she never knew she had, Courtney remained standing.

"Fine," she forced nonchalance into her voice. "But then you'd be stopping the only person who could have gotten you out of here alive."

That caused everyone in the bank to look at her. Most probably figured that she was insane, others wondering if perhaps she was more than what her long dark brown coat and matching boots reflected. The robber gave her a considering look, as if he wanted to believe what she told him, but then shook his head.

"Sit down or I'll shoot you."

Courtney heard the man beside her whisper something that sounded vaguely like stop. But she couldn't. She didn't have a hero complex, but she knew that she could save someone's life.

"Sir," she slowly raised her hands in a half placating, half calming gesture. "You don't have to do this."

Much to her relief, the man actually lowered his gun an inch.

"Oh, like a pretty little thing like you would know anything about having to get her hands dirty."

Maybe she had imagined it, but some of the wildness had left his eyes.

She opened her mouth, overly careful of what she said next. "My dad left me and my mom when I was four." Courtney took a slow step forward, hands still raised. "She worked and I stayed at home by myself. I cooked and cleaned and did everything that she couldn't." Courtney took another hesitant step closer. "And look at me now."

He stared at her. Cold grey eyes gazing into what she hoped were warm blue ones. The silence stretched on for innumerable seconds. Courtney's body began to shake. More so than it had been before.

"You still haven't said how you can get me outta here."

Relief poured over her in cool unrelenting waves. Somehow…impossibly, she had made a connection with this man.

"I have money."

The robber's eyes darkened. He let out a quick disbelieving grunt and began to raise his gun.

_No, she thought_.

"I have _a lot_ of money," she clarified. "Ask anyone here." This she said with her toes crossed, praying that at least some of these people recognized her face from the news.

The sirens, media, and spectators were still outside. He had figured out a while ago that he was safe as long as he stayed inside the building. Perhaps that reasoning alone propelled the man to indulge her.

"You." The man turned his head to a woman lying on the ground. He kept his gun cocked at Courtney's chest. "Tell me who she is."

The woman was terrified. That much Courtney could see from where she stood. Said woman probably hated her now for making the gun wielding robber notice her in the first place.

Slowly the woman sat up. She looked Courtney over repeatedly, probably trying to place her face with any stored memories of mentioned wealth.

"I…I don't…" she began uncertainly. "I don't know who she is."

There were no warnings. There was no way she, or any of the other hostages could prepare themselves. There was only a shot.

And like that, the woman was down. Courtney didn't scream like some others had, she only looked at the gun toting man in front of her head on.

"Now _you_ ask." He said.

Courtney didn't want to risk any one else's safety by following his directive, so instead, she said what came logically to her.

"Why don't you ask me." She tried to keep her voice neutral…keep it from trembling.

The man studied her intently before giving a quick smile. He pushed the man he had been holding at point blank range to the side, and stepped closer to her. Another shadow of a smile crossed his face, and Courtney saw for the first time since this whole debacle had begun, that the man was not only young but handsome as well.

"Fine." He said, taking a quick glance behind him. The sirens were still glaring in the background, but now there was a little less activity.

"Who are you?"

Courtney took a deep breath, knowing that she had to do some quick talking to prevent herself from being the bargaining chip for which the robber used.

"My name is Courtney Matthews and I…I recently fell into some money." She didn't know how to explain the whole weird ordeal so she blurted out quick facts. "About ten millions worth."

Surreptitiously glancing about her, she could see recognition dawn in one or two set's of eyes.

But the robber wasn't from around here. He was still unmoved.

"I never heard-a-no Courtney Matthews."

Sweat trickled down her back. The gun was all that she saw as she thought of how to undo what had already been set into motion.

"Maybe…" she paused. "Maybe you know me by my other name…" Here goes nothing. "Courtney Morgan…" As soon as she the words came out her mouth she regretted it. Why hadn't she said Quartermaine? Admittedly, none of these people would ever know that she was briefly a Quartermaine, much less look at her and recognize her as one, but at least it was a name that wasn't associated with organized crime.

The man's face slowly changed. He gave her a measuring look.

"You're Jason Morgan's wife."

Slowly she nodded.

"Sonny Corinthos' sister."

Again she nodded.

"Well I'll be damn," his tone was incredulous. "See, where I'm from, we were calling it the most strategic move in the underworld since the Genovese married the Bonano's."

The wild look was back in his eyes.

Disturbed that he knew so much about the situation, Courtney tried to focus his attention elsewhere.

"Forget the money here." He glanced at her again, as if seeing her for the first time since she announced her seedy familial ties. "I'll give you twice what you have now," she paused just long enough to let her words sink in. "If you let everyone go."

There was an odd triumphant glint that reflected in his eyes. He dug his hand in his back pocket and retrieved a cell phone.

"Dial." He said, handing the small device to her. "I want you to tell your husband that I need a helicopter right now, with a double action revolver and a semi-automatic, or else his wife dies.

Courtney looked uncertainly at the phone that was in her hand. If Jason helped this man he would be seen as an accomplice, an accessory to the crime. Granted, he could tell the police that there was no prior affiliation between them, but knowing the PCPD's relationship with her brother and husband, she knew what they were more likely to believe.

Courtney glanced at the man. There was no pretense there. She definitely saw murder in his eyes. Well…Courtney took a deep breath…_she_ started it, and now she would have to finish it.

The phone rang once before he answered.

"Hello." She could tell he was anxious.

"Jason…" her voice was soft, breathless now, inspired by a new wave of fear.

"Courtney, what's going on?"

His voice brought tears to her eyes, but now wasn't the time for tears.

"I'm in the bank," she didn't need to elaborate further. "I need you to get a helicopter here with a loaded revolver and semi-automatic."

There was a pregnant pause. Courtney knew that he was slowly figuring out the situation, trying to understand it for what it was.

She looked at the man in front of her. Staring at the end of the barrel, all she could think was that her last words to her husband had been cruel. All of it true…but cruel nonetheless. And ironically enough here she was. Probably in the most danger that she'd ever been in since coming to Port Charles, and it had nothing to do with Jason's lifestyle.

The man cocked the gun a little higher.

"Jace…"

Jason slowly assembled a few words.

She lowered the phone a bit.

"Where do you want the helicopter to land," she asked the man.

He gave her a disbelieving look.

"On the roof, of course."

Courtney sighed, turning her attention back to her husband.

"On the roof."

Jason paused again.

"How much time."

Courtney glanced at the robber.

"When do you need it."

The man gave a brief glance skyward as he considered.

"Ten minutes, max."

Jason felt anger quickly course through his veins.

"Tell him the closest helicopter around here is twenty minutes away."

Courtney was hesitant in relaying this bit of information. The man standing before her had a tendency to react impulsively.

"He said…" she asked God to give her strength. "He said that he can't get it here in ten."

The man was loosing his patience.

"Well when can he get it here," he said, each word repeated with a staccato beat. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from squeezing the trigger.

"Twenty minutes," she blurted out, seeing that her would-be robber was at the end of his rope.

"Courtney," Jason had been waiting anxiously at the other end of the receiver.

His voice startled her.

"What's happening," he continued.

She couldn't speak. Instead she gripped the phone tighter, knowing that if ever she got out of this situation alive, she would go back to him no questions asked. Danger, she quickly decided, was relative.

She and Jason could live to be a hundred, with him in the business for the rest of his days. Or she could die here, twenty five years old, simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, both of their futures were unknown.

"Courtney." His voice was loud. He was scared. There was no way he could control any bit of what was happening to her from behind this phone. That unnerved him the most.

"I'm here…I'm still here."

Jason felt relief wash over him.

"Jason, get that helicopter on the roof in twenty minutes."

She didn't need to tell him. He had already motioned for Max to make the call.

Courtney closed her eyes and finally, a few tears trickled down her face.

"Jason…I love you and I'm sorry—"

The man snatched the phone away from her. Quickly she swallowed the sob that had threatened to escape her mouth, settling instead for a small whimper.

"If you try anythin' funny, Mr. Morgan, your wife'll be the one to pay for your stupidity."

And just like that, Jason was once again left in the dark.

He had been mentally pacing before he had gotten the call. Courtney was supposed to meet Carly at Kelly's, but she never showed up. The last thing Carly could tell him and Sonny was that she stopped to get money at an ATM machine. The next thing they all knew was that Citibank was being held up. Jason had known from then that Courtney was there, but he kept hoping that something else had delayed her. Now his fears were confirmed.

All he could do now was sit on his couch and stare at the wall for several still seconds.

Silently telling himself to snap out of it, he propelled into action. With a quick curse and a prayer, Jason made his way over to Penthouse number four.

When he found that man, whoever he was, Jason was going to kill him.

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Courtney could still remember that day as clear as if it had happened yesterday. She remembered going in the helicopter and thinking that her life was over. She remembered landing in a field somewhere outside of Port Charles. She remembered the surprise on the man's face when he saw Jason and his men waiting for him. She remembered the long gun battle that ensued and ducking beneath the chopper. She remembered Jason's arms coming around her. She remembered the desperate love that they made to each other when they finally made it inside the penthouse. She remembered the first day when she realized that they had been callously reunited and divided at the hands of a gun battle. 

Courtney closed her eyes, a few tears escaping her as she did so.

_God…_

…_she remembered._

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**AN 2**: A couple of things. I _had_ planned on doing a love scene b/t Jason and Courtney in this chapter, but sometimes these things write themselves. The next chapter will most _definitely_ have one though, so beware…the rating _will_ go up. 

Hmm…I love making music videos. There was a video that I made that inspired this fic which I would love for you to check out. Which brings me to my next point.

I have a new community on livejournal. It's called _JourneyLove. _I would like all of you to at least check it out, and if you're interested, please join. Once you're a part of the community, you can post _anything _there about Journey. Fanfics, fanart, music vids, avatars, etc… To join you must get a livejournal account. The process is very simple. Just go to livejournal dot com click on create account on the top right corner, and you're good to go.

If you've read all of that and you're _still_ interested in checking out my community where my music vids are, then go to livejournal dot com/journeylove. Sorry for having to spell the links out. doesn't let us post links in our stories.

Comments are appreciated and very much adored and remember…embrace the ship of Jason and Courtney forever.


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